Hometown Advantage

About our Excursions

Bob_Fisher — Fri, 08 May 2009 05:26:32 +0000

When planning your next meeting, conference, or team building event in Portland don’t forget to include a little downtime for attendees and activities to entertain your participants’ spouse and companions.

No one knows the Pacific Northwest better than we do. Whether your next event is in Portland or Seattle, we offer dozens of possibilities for attendees and their companions. In addition to all of the different Excursions described online, we offer custom full and half-day events that run the gamut from golf excursions, wine tastings, museum hops and shopping adventures.

If your meeting, conference, or gathering is being held in Portland, then in addition to our Coach Excursion we can also offer a wide selection of fun and exciting walking tours through our subsidiary company Portland Walking Tours. All of the tours listed on the Portland Walking Tours website are available as private events. Our other subsidiary, Run Brain Run also offers unique adventures for your group. These fun team building events have been specifically created by our Puzzle Masters to challenge and entertain you.

Here at Hometown Advantage we are committed to making sure your next reunion, meeting, conference or team-building event is the best possible. All of our Excursions are private events. We do not at this time run regularly scheduled Excursions for the public.

All of our Excursions are available as either Step-On or Chartered events.

Call us toll-free in the U.S. at 888.604.3352 (international +1.503.774.4522) or Contact Us online today to learn more.

Chartered Tours

Bob_Fisher — Tue, 05 May 2009 23:35:29 +0000

Let us plan your next excursion from start to finish. We’ll provide the coach, plan the route and provide the Resident Expert to keep your guests pampered and entertained along the way.

All of our Chartered Tours come staffed with both a driver and one of our Resident Experts. This allows each member of the team to focus on his or her strengths. The coach operator gets to focus on driving, while our Resident Expert (aka “guide”) gets to put all of her or his attention into entertaining the guests.

All of our Resident Experts go through extensive training. In addition to this expertise about the region’s history, attractions, flora and fauna, all of our Resident Experts are adept storytellers. We actually forbid our experts from using a written script! They will keep your group engaged and laughing as they discover just what the Pacific Northwest has to offer.

All of our different Excursions are available as either Chartered or Step-On Guided Tours.

For more information about our services, or more details on pricing, please pick up the phone and give us a call toll-free in the U.S. at 888.604.3352 (international +1.503.774.4522) or Contact Us online today to learn more.

Industry rates for tour operators are available.

Step-On Guided Tours

Bob_Fisher — Tue, 05 May 2009 23:33:50 +0000

If you have the vehicle, we can provide the expertise. All of our Step-On Guide Services use what we call Resident Experts (aka “guides”). All of Resident Experts have gone through extensive training, with most of them being longtime, if not lifelong, residents of the Pacific Northwest. In addition to this expertise about the region’s history, attractions, flora and fauna, all of our Resident Experts are adept storytellers. Our Resident Experts are actually forbidden to use a written script! They will keep your group engaged and laughing as they discover just what the Pacific Northwest has to offer.

Many tour companies try to have the driver pull double duty, keeping on eye on the road and, presumably, one on their guests. Our guides never divide their attention in that way. With one of our Resident Experts leading the tour the driver can concentrate on the road while we focus our attention on keeping your group entertained and engaged.

All of our different Excursions are available either as a Step-On Guided or as a Chartered Tour.

The basic rate for Step-On Guide Services is $180 per vehicle (not including gratuity). This will provide you with three hours of step-on guide services with one of our Resident Experts. Looking for a longer experience? Call today and ask about our new special rates now through 2011.

For more information about our services, or more details on pricing, please pick up the phone and call us toll-free in the U.S. at 888.604.3352 (international +1.503.774.4522) or you can always contact us online by clicking on Contact Us.

Industry rates for tour operators are available.

Portland Highlights

David_Schargel — Sat, 02 May 2009 18:44:50 +0000

The “Portland Highlights” tour is a fun and entertaining clarification into why Portland is regularly recognized as one of the best places to live and visit.

Our Resident Experts (aka tour guides) will unlock the best kept secrets of “Bridgetown” as we delight and entertain your guests with stories about early and modern Portland while touring an enlightened city rich with artwork, parks, bridges, downtown trains & streetcars, and fountains. We’ll visit Portland’s most notable districts and neighborhoods including the Cultural District, Old Town-Chinatown, the Pearl District, while constantly providing photo opportunities that will delight everyone on board. We always include a guided stop (with our portable amplifiers for large groups) at the International Rose Test Garden, the oldest public garden of its kind in the United States with over 500 varieties of roses on display. See and smell why Portland is often called the “City of Roses.” Call us today to book this fun excursion and discover great stories with inside scoops and fun facts about the city of Portland!

If you want to show off some some of the more fascinating things about this area – from the urban growth boundary to the world’s smallest park – be sure to contact us today. Even locals have been amazed and entertained by what they enjoy with us.

Even though our Step-On, Charter, and Meet-And-Assist services are our most popular offerings, we can help you in other ways. And we’re proud winners of the 2007 President’s Award from Travel Portland and voted the Best City Tour from citysearch.com! Let us show you why.

Available As: Charter or Step-On Guide Service
Tour Length: 3 hours (or longer if desired)
Admission Costs: None
Optional Admission Costs: Portland Classical Chinese Garden, Japanese Garden, Pittock Mansion, or a visit to Kidd’s Toy Museum.

Industry rates for tour operators (or NTA/ABA members) are available.

Columbia Gorge and Waterfalls

David_Schargel — Sat, 02 May 2009 04:30:38 +0000

On the “Columbia Gorge and Waterfalls” excursion you will experience first-hand the beauty and grandeur of the Columbia River Gorge. One of America’s most majestic waterways, our resident experts will be your guide to the rich history and breathtaking natural beauty of this area as we retrace a portion of Lewis and Clark’s epic journey through the Columbia River Gorge atop Oregon’s Historic Scenic Highway. We will visit the Vista House, perhaps the most beautiful travelers’ rest station ever built, before descending down into the gorge to visit the largest and most picturesque of the seventy-seven waterfalls lining the Oregon side of the gorge, Multnomah Falls. These falls are truly one of the country’s natural treasures, as is the adjacent Multnomah Falls Lodge (where we can stop for lunch if you would like). We then begin our return to Portland along the bottom of the gorge, providing not only a different, but equally spectacular, perspective on the natural splendor of the area, but also provides an opportunity to visit Bonneville Dam, one of the gorge’s man-made wonders.

Available As: Packaged Day Trip or Step-On Service
Tour Length: 4.5 – 6 hours
Admission Costs: None
Optional Meal: Lunch at Multnomah Falls Inn or boxed lunch

Industry rates for tour operators are available.

Epicurean Excursion

Bob_Fisher — Fri, 01 May 2009 23:55:05 +0000

Step on board and come experience firsthand why Oregon is considered by many to be a foodie’s paradise. If you watch the Food Network or consider yourself a “foodie,” this is the adventure for you. Available as either a step-on or chartered coach tour this excursion will have you nibbling and sipping your way through some of the best food and beverages available anywhere. We change the tour seasonally to emphasize the best this region has to offer. No matter what time you join us, we always feature the best of Oregon–trust us to deliver the best pinot noir wines, local produce, cheeses, teas, mustards, jams and jellies, beer, pizza, coffees, sorbettos and gelatos, chocolates, artisan breads and breakfast pastries, and much more.

Along the way, you’ll achieve a diploma of culinary knowledge as you learn about local goods, sustainable practices, and the truth behind organic products. Most important, we’ll slow you down and guide you experience the smells, textures, tastes, after-tastes that every item brings. You’ll have so much fun, you’ll forget you’re learning something.

We recommend that you have a light breakfast or lunch before the tour. All guests are advised to refrain from wearing flip-flops and open-toed shoes as we go behind the scenes on this excursion where such footwear will pose a safety and health hazard.

Available As: Packaged Half-Day or Full-Day Trip or Step-On Guide Service.
Tour Length: 4 hours (or longer if you choose).
Admission Costs: None.
Additional Costs: Food and beverage tasting fees. Tasting fees will vary but will average between $5 and $10 per person per stop.

From Farm to Fork

David_Schargel — Fri, 01 May 2009 19:37:37 +0000

A tour in good taste and worth toasting

“Farm To Table” brings you and your guests to the bucolic back roads of the area, delivering your group to an artisan farm or family vineyard. There, the farmer or grower shares their land – taking you from “ground to glass” or “farm to table” – while you drink in miles of Pacific Northwest splendor. We’re then seated at a nearby table, where the best seasonal and local fare is shared with fellow travelers and is paired with exceptional regional wines.

Not only is the food and drink amazing, but the stories behind the culinary dreams and the people who run it add to everyone’s enjoyment. This is a one-of-a-kind adventure that you and your guests will never forget.
Come along and witness one of the richest agricultural regions in the world. Fertile ground, pristine waters, and a special climate produce exceptional things. The culinary and viticultural history of the Pacific Northwest began with the Oregon Trail and prospered with the railroads in the late 1800’s. With it came European settlers who brought stock animals, seeds, and vine cuttings from their various cultures.
Once sated (in belly and soul), our culinary adventure comes to a close as we make our way back while we reflect on our food and wine journey.

Available As: Packaged Day Trip or Step-On Service
Tour Length: 7 hours (including meal)
Admission Costs: Packaged Day Trip: all-inclusive; Step-On Service: applicable meals & tasting fees
Meal: Three Course Fine Cuisine

Exploring the North Oregon Coast

Bob_Fisher — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:47:42 +0000

The North Oregon Coast is some of the most beautiful and rugged coastline you’ll find anywhere in the world. It is where the mountains of the Pacific Coast Range make their dramatic plunge into the Pacific creating a gorgeous winding coastline composed of steep cliffs, thick forest, and little hidden fog-covered inlets. This full-day Excursion will take you from Portland through the Willamette Valley (one of the best wine-growing regions in the country), up and over the Coastal Mountain Range, and back again. During the tour we’ll wind our way up the beautiful and famous Pacific Coast Highway, with plenty of stops for photos, shopping and short hikes. We’ll visit Haystack Rock, made famous by its appearance in the film Goonies. We’ll also be sure to visit the picturesque town of Astoria perched on the very edge of the state at the mouth of the mighty Columbia River, before returning home along the scenic and equally majestic Columbia River Gorge.

Available As: Full-day or Overnight Step-On or Chartered Tour.
Tour Length: Minimum of 8 hours.
Optional Admission Costs: Optional Tasting Room, park and/or museum admission fees are extra. Since this will be a full-day event a meal is strongly encouraged, either boxed lunch, or lunch on your own at one of the many fine local eateries.

Industry rates for tour operators are available.

Revisiting Mount St. Helens

Bob_Fisher — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:29:57 +0000

It has been more than 30 years since that fateful Sunday morning when Mt. St. Helens dramatically erupted destroying more than 230 square miles of forest, shooting a plume of smoke and cinders thousands of feet into the sky that covered all the surrounding cities and towns, even those hundereds of miles away, with a coating of ash. What remains of Mt. St. Helens is no less breathtaking today.On this full-day or overnight Excursion we’ll take you to the site of one of the most dramatic natural disasters in American history. We’ll take you to the Johnston Ridge Observatory where you will be rewarded with one of the most starkly beautiful vistas in the country. Few other locations in the world can compete with this reminder of Nature’s majesty and power.

Available As: Full-day or Over-Night Step-On or Chartered Tour.
Tour Length: Minimum of 8 hours.
Additional Costs: Park entrance fees.
Optional Admission Costs: Lunch and/or dinner service. A meal during this event is strongly encouraged, either boxed lunch, or lunch/dinner on your own at one of the many fine local eateries.

Industry rates for tour operators are available.

Events

Bob_Fisher — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 04:01:20 +0000

Events are our middle name. We conduct over a thousand events a year! That means that on average there are at least three events taking place on any given day. Whether it is one of the many walking tours by our sister company Portland Walking Tours, an exciting and fun team building hunt with Run Brain Run, or a private coach excursion with Hometown Advantage, there is always something fun and exciting taking place.

To find out more please call or email us:

Hometown Advantage:

(Phone) 888.604.3352 (Email) info@hometownadvantage.com

Portland Walking Tours:

(Phone) 503.774.4522 (Email) info@portlandwalkingtours.com

Run Brain Run:

(Phone) 888.604.3350 (Email) info@runbrainrun.com

We Know Portland

Bob_Fisher — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 17:50:47 +0000

I’d like to personally invite you to make Hometown Advantage part of your next excursion. Our Resident Experts (aka “tour guides”) will be your key to experiencing the city of Portland and the surround areas like you never have before. We offer a number of different guided tours that will appeal to all ages and interests. Each tour offers its own unique look at Oregon and are known to entertain locals and tourists alike. Our Resident Experts can meet your group at your hotel or specified starting location and at the time you require. I know that you hire the best Tour Directors possible, but they simply can’t be experts on all subjects, nor can they be “on” all the time. That’s where we can help! All of our Resident Experts are long-time residents who have completed extensive training. As matter of fact, we do 6 weekends of required training each year. We only hire W-2 employees and not contractors so we can ensure the highest level of service. Simply said, our staff will have your guests laughing as you explore Portland and the great state of Oregon. We’ve been doing tours for almost a decade. Most media and locals know us as the award-winning Portland Walking Tours, now a sister company of Hometown Advantage. Starting in 2004, we started arranging motor coach journeys, as well as providing Step-On and Meet-And-Assist and Destination Management services. We’re proud winners of the 2007 President’s Award from Travel Portland and voted the Best City Tour from citysearch.com. Let us show you why. If you have questions, or want to know about our any of our tour offerings or services please call 888.604.3352 (international +1.503.774.4522) or send us an email at info@hometownadvantage.com.

Best Regards,

David Schargel
Hometown Advantage

Oregon Wine Country Tour

Bob_Fisher — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 05:04:22 +0000

Oregon is wine country! Come experience firsthand (or should we say “firsttaste”) why the Willamette Valley, and neighboring Columbia Gorge and Columbia River Valley, is considered by many to be one of the world’s great wine regions. On this tour we’ll take your group on a fun and informative exploration of Oregon’s “Wine Country.” Our Resident Experts (aka “guides”) will keep you entertained as they reveal to you the monumental geologic forces that shaped the region and led to the terroir that makes Oregon wines, especially Oregon Pinots, so justifiably famous.

Available As: Packaged Half-Day, Full-day Step-On or Chartered Tour.
Tour Length: 3-4 hours (or longer if you choose).
Additional Costs: Tasting room fees. Fees will vary depending on itinerary. Will generally range from $5-$8 per person per stop.
Optional Admission Costs: Lunch. A meal during this event is strongly encouraged, either boxed lunch, or lunch on your own at one of the many fine local eateries.

Industry rates for tour operators are available.

The Beer Here! Coach Tour

Bob_Fisher — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 03:12:13 +0000

Portland is famous for a lot of things, for its bridges, its six months of rain, and more and more for its other liquid asset, its beer. The city has just eleven bridges, but thirty-nine breweries (and counting!). In fact, the city of Portland is one of the beer capitals of the world! We now have more breweries than any other city in the world, recently even surpassing Cologne, Germany! Perhaps that’s why so many people have started calling Portland “Beer-vana.”

On this tour you’ll have fun discovering the art and science of brewing. You’ll find out what made Portland the epicenter of America’s craft brewing renaissance, learn some of the history of Portland’s transformation into one of the world’s premier craft brewing centers, and, of course, you’ll also get to sample its fruits firsthand. On this tour you will visit three of Oregon’s premier craft breweries, learn about ingredients and the brewing process, and sample a selection of Portland’s finest craft beers.

Available As: Packaged Half-Day Trip or Step-On Guide Service
Tour Length: 3-4 hours (or longer if you choose)
Additional Costs: Tasting room fees. Fees will vary depending on itinerary. Will generally range from $5-$8.
Optional Admission Costs: Lunch. A meal during this event is strongly encouraged, either boxed lunch, or lunch on your own.

Industry rates for tour operators are available.

Distillery Coach Tour

Bob_Fisher — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 01:56:58 +0000

Portland is already world-renowned for its beer — the microbrewery movement essentially started in Portland. But did you know that the city is now the center of a whole other new craft tradition? Artisan craft distilling. Portland now has six of these microdistilleries operating inside the city, with more on the way! Microdistilleries are to spirits, what microbreweries are to mass-produced beer. On this tour you’ll explore Portland’s growing microdistilling culture. You’ll get to meet some of the leaders of this craft movement, tour their workshops, see how the distilling process works, and, more importantly, you’ll get to taste the products. (Must be 21 and older to attend this tour.)

Available as either a Step-On Guided or Charter Tour. This coach tour will take you behind-the-scenes of some of Portland’s best craft distilleries. You’ll get to meet the distillers, be given an introduction to the fascinating art and science of the craft, and taste the products.

Available As: Packaged Half-Day Trip or Step-On Guide Service.
Tour Length: 3-4 hours (or longer if you choose).
Additional Costs: Tasting room fees. Fees will vary depending on itinerary. Will generally range from $5-$8 per person per stop.
Optional Admission Costs: Lunch. A meal during this event is strongly encouraged, either boxed lunch, or lunch on your own.

Industry rates for tour operators are available.

Inbound Receptive Services

Bob_Fisher — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 00:00:04 +0000

Hometown Advantage offers a full range of Inbound Receptive Services for the Portland and Seattle Metro-areas.

For more information about our services, or more details on pricing, please pick up the phone and give us a call us toll-free in the U.S. at 888.604.3352 (international +1.503.774.4522) or Contact Us online today to learn more.

Journey from the Waterfalls to the Mountains

Bob_Fisher — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 23:56:44 +0000

On this full-day journey we’ll take you from Portland to Mt. Hood and back. Along the way we will wind our way along the breathtaking Historic Columbia River Highway. This scenic highway runs through one of the country’s premier Scenic Areas. Federally protected the Columbia River Gorge is one of the country’s national treasures. Following a stop at Crown Point, perhaps the most beautiful rest area ever built, the tour will wend its way to Multnomah Falls and break for an optional lunch at the historic Multnomah Falls Lodge. We’ll then make our way to the top of Mt. Hood, the tallest mountain in Oregon, where we’ll not only take in the view, but also tour Timberline Lodge, a gorgeous and historic lodge built as a WPA project during the Great Depression located about a mile up the mountain.

Available As: Packaged Half-Day or Full-Day Trip or Step-On Guide Service. Tour Length: 4 hours (or longer if you choose). Admission Costs: None.

Additional Costs: Lunch and/or dinner. This is a full-day tour that will require both lunch and dinner for guests. Boxed meals can be arranged, or lunch and/or dinner on-your-won. Multnomah Falls Lodge and Timberline Lodge are both optional stops, providing very affordable options in pristine settings.

Industry rates for tour operators are available.

Oregon Countryside Tour

Bob_Fisher — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 23:52:53 +0000

On the Countryside Tour you’ll get outside the city to experience the stunning natural beauty of the Willamette Valley. You’ll learn about the geologic events that carved and shaped this picturesque river valley, creating some of the richest and most fertile farmland in the country. It was this rich land that first lured the pioneers to cross the Rockies on the Oregon Trail more than 150 years ago and, more recently, it was the protection of which that led the state government to created the Urban Growth Boundary to keep it safe from urban sprawl. You won’t just see, hear, smell and feel the Oregon countryside, you’ll get to taste it! We’ll stop for lunch at the Historic Grand Lodge – a former Masonic Temple and orphanage. A building that was marked for destruction when two local brewers bought it and made it into a bed and breakfast and invited dozens of artisans to paint, sculpt, forge, garden and decorate the 13 acres of stunning and gorgeous buildings and grounds. We’ll also visit the only American-owned sakery in the world. one of the oldest wineries in the state. (The Willamette Valley produces some of the best pinot noir in the world) and one of the local farms, where depending on the season you’ll get to taste some of Oregon’s famous apples, berries, or produce for yourself. After our Countryside Tour you’ll understand why people choose to live in a place that is known for its rain!

Available As: Packaged Three-Quarter or Full-Day Trip or Step-On Guide Service
Tour Length: 5 to 8 hours.
Additional Costs: Tasting room fees. Fees will vary depending on itinerary, but are around $8 per person per stop. Lunch, either a boxed lunch, or seated meal on your own is very strongly encouraged for this event.

Meet and Greet Services

Bob_Fisher — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 22:36:11 +0000

Airport Meet and Greet Services are available for Portland International Airport and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. After a long flight there is nothing like a warm smile and and a set of helping hands to guide you through the last (and what can at times be the most troubling) stage of the journey. Our professional and friendly staff will meet your party at be that extra set of hands to help with luggage, arranging transportation and getting everyone safely checked in at the hotel.

Airport Meet and Greet Services always includes the following:

Client signage
Constant flight monitoring
Connection assistance
Group check in
Assistance with luggage
Assistance with travel from airport to hotel
Expedited assistance with lost or missing luggage
Assistance with hotel check in

We are also able to provide departure assistance meeting your party at the hotel to guarantee your group a hassel-free end to their stay.

Meet and Greet Services begin at just $35 an hour with a minimum of 3 hours.

Why leave anything up to chance? Guarantee your guests the best possible experience with our professional experienced Meet and Greet professionals.

Our Experience

David_Schargel — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 05:28:37 +0000

We’ve worked with hundreds of companies from small tour operators to cruise providers to 15 passenger vans. Our current list of satisfied clients include NTA, TAP, and ABA Members including Vantage Deluxe World Travel, Golden Gate Tours, Toby Tours, International Seminar Design, National Trust and many more.

Team Building Hunts

David_Schargel — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 22:50:52 +0000

There’s a new game in town and it’s run by our subsidiary, Run Brain Run! Starting at only $25 per person, we get you out of the office and onto the playing field for a few hours of hilarity. Our puzzlemasters give you a set of tools, clues and missions and true team building starts immediately as teams communicate, strategize, negotiate, and bond as they compete with other teams. All this is disguised as fun. After the event, your group will have a shared experience, a lot of laughs, and an optional comedic wrap up or facilitation to bring the event to a successful conclusion. Our hunts are more than a great time. They are fun team builders!

A sample of some current Portland-based hunt offerings can be found HERE.

Any of our hunts are a great way to add something new and fun to your next meeting, conference or team building exercise. We can accommodate groups as small as 10 or as large as 1000.

For more information call the staff at Run Brain Run toll-free in the U.S. at 888.604.3350 (international +1.503.774.4522) or Contact Us online today to learn more.